This review paper examines ongoing research on a range of applications of electronic discussion in a laptop university teacher education program. The findings and challenges of employing electronic discussion are discussed and the authors make a case for selecting instructional models that encourage substantive discussion on the part of the…

From blogs to wikis to podcasts to personalized e-mail alerts, there are now more ways to reach people than ever before. However, even with these new outreach pathways, success still depends on knowing your audience and having the ability to see beyond the "buzz" of technology. Best practices for outreach should emphasize a personal touch in the…

The present study investigates the efficacy of an Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy program for bereaved people suffering complicated grief. The program combines established methods of psychotherapy with new technology--therapists and patients communicated exclusively by e-mail. Bereaved individuals diagnosed with complicated grief (n =…

Staff involved in pedagogic innovations are often presented with challenges that take them outside their customary spheres of expertise and disciplinary identities. This paper presents an analysis of data collected from staff involved in a "bottom up" pedagogic innovation introducing inquiry-based learning to a cohort of first year social science…

This study highlights the complexities associated with learning a heritage language (HL) abroad, specifically with regard to identity, expectations, and beliefs about language and language learning, by examining the ways that HL learners talk about themselves. These are important topics to study because perceptions of language learning have been…

The passage of current educational legislation such as the "Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" (IDEA) and the more recent "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act has increased the desire for greater inclusion of students with disabilities in regular classrooms. Serving the need of all students in inclusive classrooms…

This paper reports on research to investigate design features of asynchronous discussion systems for higher education. The research aims to identify features that increase the benefits of discussion systems and reduce the problems. The paper focuses on a major theme that emerged from interviews with learners and teachers: information overload.…

Computer-based communication has tremendous potential to support older adults. But if people are to use such systems autonomously, it is necessary to move beyond current interfaces and systems and develop devices that fit into the environment of the user. Using a Grounded Theory approach, three focus groups were held and, subsequently, 9 older…

Academic mailing lists are formed by scholars and professionals interested in intellectual discussion and professional exchange of ideas. Academic mailing lists focus on academic and scholarly subjects, but they are not immune from "flaming," hostile, insulting language in computer-mediated communication. Two scholarly mailing lists,…

Noting that journalism and mass communication educators have experimented broadly with computer applications since the 1970s, this paper suggests that momentum is building in the 1990s in three areas (industry imperative, social significance, and pedagogic promise) to integrate computer-mediated communication (CMC) into the journalism and mass…

In this paper, a creative narrative is used to illustrate an episode of flaming (defined as the fervent exchange of messages personally attacking or expressing defensiveness on computer-mediated communication networks) in an electronic mail exchange among a small group of communication scholars. The narrative allows for the presentation of an…

Traditionally, e-mail (electronic mail) has been seen as an efficient communications medium for the transmission of simple, routine, unambiguous messages. More recent research has argued that the simple, efficient view of e-mail is incomplete. Future research should be extended into the strategic and symbolic functions of email, such as the use of…

A study explored the efficacy of the general semantic technique of E-Prime (a technique for increasing awareness of abstraction through the deliberate deletion of all forms of the verb "to be") through a study of copula deletion (omission of auxiliary verbs) and flaming (the fervent exchange of emotionally charged messages) in electronic…

This handbook is addressed to people who have access to the Internet and want to learn how to use it and to people who want to teach Internet skills to others. It includes the content of a 14-hour training institute and beginning and advanced level exercises, as well as discussion topics, sample overheads and other materials, and a checklist of…

New technologies brought about by the computer are causing writing to take on more and more the features of orality. The computer's emphasis on speed reduces or even eliminates distance, which is one of the key features of orality. Orality is immediate and relies on assumptions, on gaps to be filled in by the auditor. It is also "socially…